Scientists come up with pill to fight and prevent food allergies – there’s a catch; it tastes and smells awful!

According to the Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE) organization, approximately 32 million Americans, including one out of (every 13 children) are affected by food allergies, states Medical News Today (MNT).

Experts state that a food allergy is caused by the immune system reacting to the food when it doesn't need to. This is because the immune system (which normally fights infections) sees the food as an invader, leading to an allergic reaction.

Though food allergies may trigger harmless symptoms like itching, hives, swollen lips, swollen face, or tongue, including wheezing, or an upset stomach – some food allergies may also reportedly induce a contraction of the airways, causing an inability to breathe.

However, the most life-threatening allergic reactions involve anaphylaxis, whereby a person may lose consciousness and exhibit low blood pressure which could be very dangerous.

When anaphylaxis is left untreated, coma or even death can occur, informs MNT.

The American Chemical Society (ACS) examined nut allergies and how it affects mice. Researchers report that a compound called butyrate prevented food allergies in mice, and even stopped pre-existing allergies, MNT said.

But even though researchers believe butyrate can fight and prevent food allergies, there seems to be an issue - the study participants reportedly found the pill to taste and smell awful.

“Butyrate has a very bad smell, like dog poop and rancid butter, and it also tastes bad, so people wouldn’t want to swallow it,” Shijie Cao, Ph.D. at the University of Chicago and first study author and ACS presenter told MNT.

In order to mask the taste and smell, researchers reportedly delivered butyrate (wrapped in a polymer substance) directly to the mice.

Dr Cao is quoted as saying, “Instead of delivering the active bacteria which is far away from straightforward, we are delivering their metabolites directly, and showed the effectiveness in treating food allergies when delivered to the distal [outer reaches of the] gut.”

By metabolites Dr Cao means any substance produced during metabolism. MedlinePlus explains that the term metabolite may also refer to the product that remains after a drug is broken down or (metabolized) by the body.

According to MNT, the recent research suggests that one’s gut bacteria (the microbiome) plays a role in food allergies.

When gut bacteria are out of balance, important microbes may become depleted. One such microbe, Clostridia, has been implicated in food allergies.

Clostridia supposedly produces the compound butyrate which helps keep the microbiome in balance by promoting the growth of beneficial bacteria.

Researchers found that when the pill was administered to mice it helped stop anaphylactic shock when the mice were exposed to peanuts (the most dangerous allergens for humans) the Denver Channel states.

The researchers now hope that the pill's compound (butyrate) will help combat many types of food allergies.

“This type of therapy is not antigen-specific. So theoretically, it can be broadly applied to any food allergies through the modulation of gut health,” Dr Cao reportedly told ACS.